ABOUT US
monkeyfour is a high-energy, four-piece cover band from Des Moines, bringing classic rock (and a little country) to life with rich vocal harmonies and a setlist packed with crowd-pleasing party music.
Covering artists like The Eagles, Tom Petty, Jackson Browne, Barenaked Ladies, Pink Floyd, and ELO, we deliver a mix of timeless hits and singalong favorites that keep audiences rockin’!
Whether playing big shows or intimate gatherings, we bring passion and musicianship to every show.
WHO’S IN THE BAND?
BRETT BARBER
DRUMS
Brett joined the former Monkey Monkey Monkey in December 2024, adding the energy of a talented live drummer to the well-known band.
When not on stage, Dr. Brett is a dentist at Dental Associates West in West Des Moines and he’s the dentist at the Iowa Correctional Institution for Women in Mitchellville, IA. Brett and wife Kimberly live in West Des Moines.
Fun Fact: Brett and Lance played together in a band in high school!
LANCE EATON
LEAD VOCALS + GUITAR + BASS
If Brett is the newest member of the band, Lance is the OG. Throughout all iterations of the band (see history below) as lead signer and guitar/bass player Lance has always been at the forefront.
Outside the band, Lance works at Kreg Tool in Ankeny, and lives in Grimes with wife Meg,
Fun Fact: A dedicated showman, Lance showed up for a gig the night his first daughter was born… with Meg’s blessing of course!
MARK LEEPER
LEAD GUITAR + VOCALS
You gotta watch the quiet ones. As lead guitarist, Mark is sneakily one of central Iowa’s most talented guitarists. He’s also one of the humblest, so he disagrees with that statement.
Mark and wife Teri live in Grimes, and are dedicated Cyclone fans and avid travelers.
Fun Fact: If Mark shows up on your doorstep, you might be getting some love… he sometimes delivers flowers for Hy-Vee!
ANDY TEBOCKHORST
KEYBOARD + VOCALS
In addition to playing keys and vocals, Andy acts as unofficial emcee at monkeyfour performances.
Andy and wife Teri own a strategic marketing & communications consulting company called Headlight Strategies in Des Moines. They live in Beaverdale.
Fun Fact: When Lance and Andy first met in 1991, Andy wore an embarrassing fedora. Lance’s first words to him, “Nice hat.”
HISTORY
In many ways, monkeyfour is a new band launched in December 2024. But the fact is this group has been an iconic fixture for more than three decades. Across three bands and countless performances, this group has been integral not only in its own evolution, but in helping to shape the Central Iowa live music scene.
CHAPTER 1: THE FLYING MARSUPIALS
In 1989, Lance Eaton (Bass + Vocals) decided to start a new band. Together with JC Wilson (Guitar + Vocals), Steve Rorebeck (Drums + Vocals), Ed Wheeler (Guitar + Vocals), and Rick Poe (Keyboard + Vocals), they formed the band Fritz & the Salivating Marsupials.
Of course, the day after they named the band at a late night rehearsal, nobody could remember what it was. And their first gig was coming up that weekend! On the phone the next day, Rorebeck groggily told a reporter “I think it’s The Flying Marsupials?” That name stuck.
The Flying Marsupials played their first gig at a private party on New Year’s Eve, 1989… the first of many epic New Year’s parties for the band!
Andy TeBockhorst (Keyboard + Vocals) joined the “Supes” one year later in January 1991, and Mark Leeper (Guitar + Vocals) came aboard in 1993.
Nate Carlson (Sound), Brian Vance (Lights), and Dave Stalder (Manager) were the offstage Supes, helping to make the shows memorable for the thousands of people who came out over the years to catch a Flying Marsupials show.
On April 1, 1993 they launched their first (and only) album Working Without Annette.
Throughout the 1990s and early 2000s, The Supes became one of central Iowa’s most popular bands, known for great music, big parties, and a rabid following. Throughout those years, the band had the opportunity to play for huge crowds on many big stages like the Iowa State Fair multiple years, 30,000+ people at RAGBRAI in 1997, and a sold out Hilton Coliseum in 1998.
They also were fortunate to frequently open for national acts coming through central Iowa, like .38 Special, ZZ Top, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Cheap Trick, Eddie Money, Night Ranger, Survivor, and many others.
The band played steadily for 15 years until 2004, and to this day they still get together for the occasional reunion show. In 2016, they were honored to be inducted into the Iowa Rock N Roll Hall of Fame.
In 2019, the band lost their beloved band manager Dave Stalder to cancer.
CHAPTER 2: MONKEY MONKEY MONKEY
New Year’s Eve, 2003… The Flying Marsupials were hanging out in their hotel room at Embassy Suites in Downtown Des Moines, preparing for their final New Year’s Eve gig.
The band had officially announced their “retirement” earlier that year, and tickets were on sale for their big farewell show that would take place just a few weeks later.
Lance, Andy, and Mark were sitting around a table with an acoustic guitar, warming up for the show. They were playing and harmonizing on the song Southern Cross by Stephen Stills. After a few suggestions on which harmony part each person should sing, Supes sound man Nate Carlson said “Damn, that sounded great! You should really think about doing that once the Supes are done!”
Two months later on February 7, 2004, Monkey Monkey Monkey played its first show at The Public House in Granger, Iowa.
Keeping things simple, the band decided to temporarily launch without drums or bass guitar. Those instruments would instead be “sequenced” … played via digital recording through the keyboard, while two guitars and keyboard were played live.
It would take them 20 years to eventually bring live drums & bass back to the stage.
Monkey Monkey Monkey (or Monkey3 as they were often called) specialized in vocal harmonies, featuring covers of bands like The Eagles, Crosby Stills & Nash, Barenaked Ladies, and more.
The band played steadily from 2004 to 2024, taking the stage as regulars at Kenny’s Pub and Mickey’s Irish Pub in Waukee, Doc’s Lounge and Back Roads Lounge in Johnston, The Port at Lake Panorama, and many others. During the summer, they took it outside for fairs and festivals all around Central Iowa like Clivefest, Johnston Green Days, The Covered Bridges Festival, Beaverdale Fall Festival, RAGBRAI, and many others.
At the end of their 20th year on December 14, 2024, playing for a private holiday party at Wakonda Country Club in Des Moines, the trio quietly played their final show as Monkey Monkey Monkey. After months of working behind the scenes, they were ready to unveil the next evolution of the band…
CHAPTER 3:
On August 14, 2024. Lance & Andy walked across the street after a burger and a couple beers at Lucky Horse near Drake University. They were excited about the concert that evening at xBk. Robert John and the Wreck were playing at the cool Des Moines venue, and both were big fans (they rock, check them out!)
As they walked up to the venue, Lance spotted an old friend in line. Introducing Andy, Lance said “This is Brett Barber… he and I were in a band together in high school!” Brett and wife Kimberly were there for the show as well.
A few weeks earlier, Lance, Mark, and Andy had decided it was time to expand the band, adding live drums to round out their sound and reinvigorate the music.
And what do you know? Brett is a drummer. It must have been fate.
Soon after, the four members of the newly named monkeyfour started rehearsing.
But the evolution was not only about adding a new band member. The group decided to rehash the set list, adding new songs and retiring much of the old band’s material. And the band evolved technically too, purchasing new gear, new instruments, implementing new technology for lights, sound, monitors, and more.
For the first time in 20 years, the band was fresh, new, and… a little nervous!
They played their first show as monkeyfour on December 28, 2024 at Back Roads Lounge in Johnston, and the rest (so far) is history!
